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She reads books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live.
– Annie Dillard |
Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural Fantasy Publication Date: April 11, 2016 Pages: 355 Format: ePub Add to GoodReads and StoryGraph Buy on Amazon He could guard an ancient temple or preside over the gates of Hell…. After enduring years of terrifying nightmares, a mysterious figure has begun to appear in Leah’s dreams. He's both grim and glorious--lit with the glory of the sunrise, yet his fierce countenance banishes the horrors that haunt her. She recognizes him as the imposing, enigmatic senior who has drawn her interest since first sight. He’s been frequenting her dreams for months but now seems to be watching her day and night, and Leah can’t resist fantasizing that the aloof boy everyone else is afraid of may actually be protectively watching over her. But her friends warn her that he’s dangerous. When Leah’s worst nightmares begin to materialize around her and her world begins to fray at the seams, her night angel is the only one Leah trusts to help her. Angel or demon, with danger closing in on her, she wants to believe that he can save her. But can anyone save her from herself? If she only knew what awaits her. There’s something Leah’s nightmares have been trying to tell her…. I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.This is a good novel for anyone in high school who has a rather large crush on the mysterious boy or girl. Approach them; stop staring at them because trust me, they're aware and as are your friends; it's creepy. Who knows, maybe they're an angel in disguise or end up being your best friend for life. There are alternating POVs in this story but it doesn't distract from the story too much. Leah's dreams and nightmares were interesting, especially the dreaming of Asher without realizing it. The story is well crafted and well thought out. Good for young adult and up. RatingJulie Simons was born and raised in Southern California but moved to Northern California during high school, discovering the beauty of the Sierra Foothills, which inspired the setting of her first novel, Angel of Night, set in the hub of the Foothills--Placerville, California. Julie's experiences attending Placerville's El Dorado High School inspired many of the lively anecdotes that Leah, the main character, experiences in her tumultuous time there. Julie went on to earn a degree in biology from Stanford University. She now lives in Connecticut with her husband and three children. Hobbies include writing, lots of daydreaming (writing in embryo), basking in warm summer days when Connecticut weather deigns to grant them, and hiking in the few remaining patches of Connecticut's ancient forests that so remind her of the beauty of Northern California that will always be home. Connect with Julie
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Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Anthology Publisher: Troubador Publication Date: February 19, 2016 Pages: 144 Add to GoodReads Synopsis The ‘Wakeful Children’ anthology by S P Oldham showcases eleven short tales of the horror and supernatural genre. There’s something for everyone’s taste here, providing you are looking for a scare! Ranging from the mildly spooky to the outright graphic and gory, these highly original, imaginative stories, finely scattered with a touch of dark humour, are definitely not for children. Grown-ups only please, though be warned, even you may want to keep the lights on whilst reading... via goodreads About the Author S P Oldham: I live in the Sirhowy Valley in beautiful South Wales, UK. I have been writing stories and poetry since childhood. My first success was a poem called ‘Pegasus’ which I was thrilled to have accepted for publication by the village newspaper at the age of 12. Since then I have been published in various anthologies, calendars and eZines, greetings cards and other media, as well as having a short story broadcast on Rutland Radio’s Sunday Night Story. I only ventured into the world of Self-Publishing in February 2015. I write primarily in the Horror and Speculative Fiction/ Supernatural genre. I currently have five horror fiction books available on Amazon and am in the process of writing a sixth. Connect with the author Interview Where do you get your ideas for your books? Who or what inspired your idea?
SPO: The inspiration for my stories comes from all sorts of places, often unexpected and sometimes unexplained. It can come from an overheard snippet of conversation, something I have seen in passing and so on. A good example is an especially vivid dream which became 'Sleep, Think, Die,' a story about the zombie apocalypse. This story ended up being a trilogy. Another example is when I overheard a young child mispronouncing 'Madagascar' as 'Mad Gasher.' He became a prominent character in the first book of the trilogy. How did you develop the plot and your characters? Are your characters based on anyone? SPO: I try not to base my characters on people, although I may borrow a trait or a characteristic. I often think that writers subconsciously create characters that my be based in part on 'real' people. Speaking for myself, I don't do this deliberately. Do you write when you're inspired? Or do you have a schedule you keep to? SPO: I write when I am inspired, in the main. This can often mean in the wee small hours, when everyone else is asleep. I know this is a cliche but in my case, for reasons I won't bore you with here, it is true! Usually with my little Cocker Spaniel for company. The only schedules I have to keep are self-imposed in the main. I try to be disciplined but it is not always easy! Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? Maybe a piece of advice that stuck with you from your adventure into the world of publishing? SPO: Don't give up! Learn from your mistakes, take on board constructive criticism and professional advice whenever you are fortunate enough to receive it, and learn from it. Don't let the detractors and nay-sayers stop you. No matter the size of your audience, just keep writing. And keep reading too - it helps enormously and you learn so much without even realising it. Plus of course, it is thoroughly enjoyable. Tell us a bit more about yourself. How did you know you wanted to be a writer? Who or what inspires you to write? SPO: Another cliche coming up, but again, it is true. I have always had the desire to write. Ever since I was a very small child, I was writing little stories and poems, and I just kept on doing it. The older I got, the more I wrote (when other commitments allowed) and the more willing I became to share it with audiences other than my family. I have learned a tremendous amount in the process and I am still learning. How much of yourself goes into your writing? Or do you keep yourself separate and base the character on someone else entirely? SPO: In terms of passion, intention and a desire to tell the story, I put a lot of myself into my writing. However, I don't believe I have ever based any character upon myself. I prefer to keep them at arms length, so to speak, so that I can observe their actions and dialogue and 'keep it real' as far as is possible. I don't necessarily base my characters on anyone, at least not knowingly, though I borrow certain traits, I am sure. What has helped shape and improve your writing? SPO: Practice! Just keep writing, keep reading, be willing to accept that you are not perfect and that you make mistakes, some of them so glaringly obvious you feel like banging the keyboard off your head, others that only those in the know can spot and if you are lucky, they will point out to you. Be open to feedback, both good and bad, be prepared to learn from it but don't allow yourself to be so changed as a writer that you no longer recognise yourself or your story. What are you reading right now? Do you recommend it or have any other recommendations? SPO: I have just finished reading The Falcon of Sparta by Conn Iggulden. I would recommend any of his work to lovers of historical fiction, especially the Conqueror series depicting the life of Genghis Khan. Excellent writing and a thoroughly absorbing read. Do your novels carry a message or do you feel it's subjective? SPO: I never intentionally write a message into my work, so it always fascinates me when readers find one anyway. That is the beauty of creative writing, in particular poetry - it allows the reader to interpret it as they may. Wonderful! What works best for you: Typewriters, fountain pen, dictate, computer or longhand? SPO: All of the above, with the exception of dictation. I need to see the written words on the page as I go along. Dictation has its place, but it is not what I would naturally revert to. I do the bulk of my writing on the keyboard, but now and then I need to do things the old-fashioned way and put pen to paper. It is useful to keep a pen and pad close to hand, to jot down those unexpected ideas that just form in your head out of nowhere, too. For instance, at 2 am or when you are staring out of the bus window... Thank you to S P Oldham for kindly providing us with this awesome interview!- Leticia Genre: Romance, Supernatural, Fantasy, Young Adult Publisher: Inkitt Publication Date: October 26, 2017 Pages: 234 Format: ePub Add to Goodreads About the Book
Clara has been chosen and her fate will be fulfilled.
Clara Evans’ needs a fresh start. Exhausted from the taunts of her classmates and the neglect of her careless foster parents, she is counting down the days until graduation when she can move away and leave her miserable life behind. When swoon-worthy Jay Woods transfers to Ford High School, Clara’s eyes are opened to a universe she never knew existed. As the life she once knew shatters and ancient secrets are revealed, Clara must learn to control her newfound powers while defeating a raging darkness that will change the world forever. Could “The Freak” from Ford High be the key to saving the human race? My Rating
2.75 Stars
My Review
I received this eBook from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This concept of a story has been done more times than I can count. This had so much potential if it had been refined more.
Clara, as a main character, is pretty cliche. The orphaned child with negligent foster parents, kids who hate her at school, she has one friend and then the attraction of the cute boy who seems to know her best friend. Before the boy, mind you, the story dragged painfully. With the boy, the story sped up way too fast and I was lost a couple of times. I thought it might have been a malfunction in my eReader but it wasn't. Suddenly! Clara is humanities only hope against dark forces. She has to learn to wield her powers and be able to defend herself with all levels of combat in a matter of weeks. Uh, no. This is not the Matrix. Fighting and knowing how to defend yourself takes time. The rest of the people in the story had been training since they were children. But Clara was able to take them down. Unless her powers involved fast learning of fighting and strength. She also faced a lot of trials during learning to fight and learning her powers, which made the story veer off into too many scenarios, I found. And then the cliff hanger. The weird cliff hanger that ended the story. Honestly, if the author had taken her time and refined her story, edited some ideas out and kept with the original story line, this would have been awesome. But maybe I'm just picky about these stories and hope they can expand on the concept more. Where to Buy
About the Author
Lauren Chow was born in Oxnard, California and raised in Marlton, New Jersey. Lauren has always enjoyed reading and was inspired to write her own stories with encouragement from her friends. She secretly started writing her junior year at Cherokee High School and decided to go public with her writing in 2017. Lauren is eighteen years old and enjoys art and social science. Lauren continues to write as she attends California Lutheran University to become an art therapist.
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